Good Things Come To Those Who Wait

By Joe Kavanagh

With all of the doom and gloom currently encompassing the globe, it is hardly surprising that the music industry has also felt the brunt of a recession that threatens to turn into a depression.

Given music's position as somewhat of a luxury in most people's lives, this year has already seen album sales continuing to fall, and attendances at live gigs drop, as people seek to save their cash for the protracted fiscal battle that lies ahead.

With Ireland's relatively small economy, the effects can be even more detrimental, as the paltry support network of grants and awards all but disappear, and while eking out a living in market can be tough going at the best of times, it becomes virtually impossible under such hamstrung conditions.

Led by the dissolution of Delorentos, several promising Irish acts have already decided to call it a day rather than face the adversity that continues to grow with each passing day.

The news is not all bad though, as several bright beacons of hope shine on the contemporary Irish music horizon, though virtually none quite so incandescent as the focus of this week's column. Not since The Commitments has Ireland truly offered any meaningful contribution to the world of soul music, and even then it was driven by mirth humor and peculiarity, but now we are in possession of a genuine soul superstar in the offing.

Given her supreme talent, however, this star will likely shine for a lot longer than the rag-tag bunch that emerged from her hometown almost two decades ago.

Laura Izibor was born in Dublin, the daughter of a Trinidadian father and an Irish mother, and, remarkably given the talent she now exudes, she was not particularly interested in music until she began taking piano lessons at 13-years-old.

Even still, it was some time before she discovered her vocal talent, recently telling one interviewer: "I was in drama class at school and the teacher asked everyone to get up to sing. I was pleading, 'Please don't ask me.' But I got up and sang. My heart was in my throat, and the class and the teacher said I had something. So I had to pursue it."

It was only then that the world of music opened up to her like a flower coming into full bloom, as she repeatedly asked those around her the names of the artists behind the songs she heard on the radio only to be told, "that's James Brown" or "that track was by Stevie Wonder".

Almost comically, she would then go out and enthusiastically tell her more musically oriented friends: "I've heard this amazing singer called Stevie Wonder, have you ever heard of him?", only to be faced with puzzled looks or giggles.

Smitten, she then immersed herself in music, absorbing every influence around her, with a particular affection for soul music and Carole King in particular, and she still cites King's seminal album, Tapestry, as being instrumental in her development as an artist.

One other crucial component in her songwriting was the influence of her older sister's love of alternative music, which she passed on to her younger sibling, adding an edge to the music she would write in later years.

As a person of mixed race growing up in Dublin, she almost inevitably developed a deep and abiding affinity with the music and life story of Phil Lynott, who she cites as a central influence on both her music and personality. She has even hinted in interviews that her distinctive afro hairstyle was at least in part inspired by the legendary Thin Lizzy front man.

The Irish public became aware of this precocious talent in a rather dramatic fashion, when she won radio station, 2FM's national song contest as a 15-year-old in 2003, with a composition entitled Compatible. In fact, the station was so taken with her live performance on-air that they continued to play the track in heavy rotation for months afterwards.

National television station RTE even commissioned a documentary chronicling her life to this point and within days she was signed up with a manager and began gigging relentlessly throughout the island, sharpening her skills and gradually shaking off her natural shyness.

The following year she made history when she became the first unreleased artist to ever be nominated for two Meteor Music Awards (Ireland's Grammy Awards) and although she failed to win, her disappointment was washed away when she was asked to perform in several US showcases, in front of a throng of industry people intrigued by this undeniable Irish talent who was already drawing comparisons to the likes of Alicia Keys, Roberta Flack and even a young Aretha Franklin.

After intense jostling between labels, she signed a US deal with Jive Records but the relationship failed and she eventually found a home with Atlantic Records, who were only too glad to take over the reigns of her career.

In 2006 she returned to the Meteor Awards and this time walked away with the Hope For 2007 Award, becoming the first artist to ever win a Meteor without having a record out.

She followed up this success by opening for such names as Angie Stone, Jamie Cullum, The Roots and even the late-great James Brown, when they stopped over in Ireland for gigs.

She also put in stirring performances as a headline act at the Cork Jazz Festival and at the acclaimed music festival, Electric Picnic, before heading off to the States in order to continue her development as an artist.

Within months, she was selling out places like the Viper Room and other venues across the US, as critics effused over her talent and were utterly won over by her innate charm and modesty. Throughout last year, she worked assiduously on her album, honing her songwriting and recording in such far flung places as Dublin, Philadelphia, New York and Atlanta, creating a work that insiders say is all but assured of catapulting her to international stardom.

To date, the only substantial recording of her work is a five track live EP that she recorded in Dublin's intimate Crawdaddy venue, in order to, in her own words, reveal "the energy and who I'm about - I thought it was a good idea to put out to people before the gloss of the big album, a 'this is who I am right now' kind of thing."

She also saw her profile rise in Hollywood, and her songs have been featured on movies like The Nanny Diaries and PS, I Love You, as well as featuring on TV show, Grey's Anatomy. It is a mark of her skill as a songwriter that she can actually write tracks on demand in some cases, without ever sounding forced or contrived.

Last year, her track From My Heart To Yours, landed at a hugely respectable 29 on Billboard's Adult R&B Airplay Chart and a bona fide buzz was created in the industry, in the run-up to her projected album debut last summer.

In a world as fickle as the music industry, however, timing is everything and the decision to release the album was put on hold, as the label continued to allow her to grow as a songwriter, keeping her in the States, where she worked with some of the most talented people at Atlantic's disposal.

As the year drew to a close, she emerged for a brief tour with UK sensation, Estelle, and although the down-home, easygoing personality remains, the image consultants have been busy, creating a polished look befitting of a star in the making. That star rose a little further in the sky with the release of her latest single, Shine, earlier this year, a track that shows a songwriter armed with poise and maturity beyond her 22 years.

With her debut album, Let The Truth Be Told, finally due to hit shelves this July, she expressed her frustration regarding the year-long delay in a recent interview, saying: "It took me a very long time and there was a lot of frustration, but it taught me an awful lot. I would still say to someone wanting to get into the industry to work on your skill, get a good demo and send it to record labels and song writing competitions. It's important to take every opportunity that you see; you really have to have no insecurities and just believe in yourself."

Belief is one thing, but it means little without talent and Laura Izibor has an equal measure of both. The wait may have been long, but it will ultimately be worth every minute of it.